Thirteen of the Best Years of My Life

Indy and I, but much, much younger.

Today is Indiana's 13th Birthday.  It's such a special day for us.  For those unfamiliar with her story, go here, and you'll see why every birthday with her is a gift.  We never expected to reach her 9th birthday, let alone her 13th.  She is such a special girl, such a fighter.  She has made me the person I am today.  Everything I know about parenting, I've learned from her. 

When I started looking through pictures yesterday for today's post, I started to feel very wistful.  Looking through my favorite puppy pictures, I almost started to cry.  We were both so different back then.  I like to think I was still a good Mom (though definitely not an educated Mom).  I was young and foolish and wanted to raise a happy dog.  I wasn't thinking about illness or cancer.  I was thinking that we both had our whole lives ahead of us; lives full of walks, and playing, and togetherness.  When that was almost taken away from me in 2006, I became a wholly different person.  A more educated one, to be sure, but a more cautious one as well.  I know understood the frailty of life.  I felt guilty that I hadn't understood better before.  In some ways, I wish I could go back to being the carefree person I was back in 1998.  I was still in college, and life seemed so open and free.  Indiana was young and healthy.  She could run and do anything she wanted.  I want that back for her more than anything.  But life doesn't work that way.  Dogs age (we all age), and we can't go back. 

So when I started to feel teary-eyed, looking through pictures of a more innocent time, I had to remind myself that today is a day of celebration.  A day to look forward and celebrate life, not a day to think, "What if" or "I wish."  Today is a day to celebrate the life that Indiana and I have been given, and to make sure, like I do every day, that today is the best darn day for her ever! 

With that in mind, I've gone through and found 13 of my favorite pictures of Indy throughout her life.  I hope you enjoy them and the stories that go along with them as much as I do!

This is Indy the first day we brought her home in 1998.  Oddly, I don't remember the exact date.  It was in June, that much I know.  She is standing here with my Grandma's dog Skippy, and I can't believe how tiny she is.  Tiny and fuzzy and soooooo naughty.  But smart.  That dog went to the bathroom in the house once and was totally house-trained within three days.  Wowza.  She's been freaking whip-smart ever since. 

This is Indy in the fall of 1998, at my college home in Champaign, Illinois.  I love this picture, because not only does she look really pretty, but I look at it and see her naughty streak.  You see, that yard was filled with sticks.  And Indiana's mission in life was to bring each and every stick from that yard into the house.  And then chew them to bits, either on my bed or in the living room.  And because I was in college, I pretty much never vacuumed up those bits, so our house was covered in a fine layer of chewed-up wood.  I remember one day when Indiana tried to bring a stick bigger than herself into the house, via the pet door.  I didn't think she'd be able to do it, because, well, physics and math and stuff, but after a few tries, she got that stick into the house.  And proceeded to chew it to bits on my bed.

We're still living in Champaign in the picture.  She's in the living room, but sadly, I must have vacuumed, because you can't see any wood bits lying around.  Hrmph.  I love this picture, because she's super happy, having just finished licking out a crock of butter.  That was back in the day when I didn't think about things like "Oils can give your dog diarrhea," only "Licking this container will make my dog really happy."  And it did.  And I don't particularly remember any diarrhea, so it must have turned out fine.

Okay.  We're onto a new house now.  We moved to South Wilmington, Illinois (the armpit of the Midwest) in 2000, so this picture is somewhere around 10 years old.  I love it because Indiana looks absolutely, madly insane.  She has always loved to sleep upside down, and it was really funny to walk into the room and see this. And frightening.  Also kind of frightening.

Also in South Wilmington.  Love that green carpeting.  I love this picture too, because, again, she looks so darn happy.  She has a bowl full of cancer-kibble (I fed crappy food back then), she has her Dad, and she's good to go.  Holy cats, does Jim look young in this picture.

Starved Rock State Park!  One of our favorite places to visit with the girls.  We always call it "Stairs Park," because, well, there are about a million stairs there, and Isis loves every single one of them.  When the girls were younger, we always tried to get to Starved Rock at least once or twice a year, because it was such a fun day for us.  The girls were really happy to be someplace new, and it was such an adventure.  Some of our happiest days have been spent there.

 This picture doesn't really have a story, but I love it because Indiana used to love to lay on the chaise (when she could still jump up there) and survey her kingdom.  Look at her eyes in this picture.  She's totally keeping an eye on something.  That's why she liked the chaise.  It was in the corner, facing out at the rest of the downstairs, so she could keep an eye on everything that was happening.  And that makes one happy herding dog.

Ah.  This picture represents the day that changed everything.  This is the day she came home from the hospital in 2006 after almost dying.  It's not a particularly good picture of Indiana.  (And please excuse the quality)  But I think it perfectly represents what she went through and how she triumphed.  She is shaved in more places than I can count (in this picture, you can see both her neck and her paw are shaved).  There is a cautiousness in her eyes.  Maybe it's the weight of what she's just been through.  We were so scared that day.  Happy and scared.  She was alive, she was home.  But we were still in a scary 10-day window where her sutured stomach could still burst and kill her instantly.  That was horrible to think about, and obviously it didn't happen, but it still haunts me if I think about it too much.  Moving on...

This picture was taken not long after the surgery (probably a few months later), as you can see that her neck is still missing lots of hair.  But I love this picture, because not only do my girls look happy and beautiful, but my Indy is alive!  This picture was taken at Lake Shelbyville, where my parents have a cabin.  We were so happy to make it down to the cabin with the girls and to resume a normal life with Indiana.  This picture was taken post-heart mass, so we still didn't know what Indiana's future held for her.  We were treasuring every moment and every special event with her.  That weekend at the cabin was so fun, and it was great to see Indiana back to hiking (and actually, we're geocaching with the girls in this picture--see the gold box in the forepicture?).  Those were uncertain times, but we were determined to make the most of every minute we had with Indy!

This picture is from Indiana's very first "re-birth" party, in 2007.  Every year, since 2007, we have had a big party to celebrate Indiana's triumph over cancer.  This picture is awesome, because she is so happy.  The guests are running a big human agility course (because we're mean but have amazing friends), and Indiana is barking and following all of them.  Oh, and you can see my nephew Ephraim's butt in this one too.  It's just a big ol' mess of fun.

This picture was also taken in 2007, taken in our back yard.  It is one of the happiest pictures we have, because the girls are having so much darn fun.  You could really get the girls riled up, chasing after each other like crazy gals.  (Well, actually, it was always Indy chasing Isis, because that's how they roll)  Jim would chase after them, and I would laugh and take pictures.  Good times!

God, there are so many other pictures I could post, but I had to pick my favorites.  And my favorites are from when Indiana was active and we were creating happy memories.  She's still happy today, mind you, but it makes me sad that she can't run, or even walk, the way she used to.  This picture though, is from earlier this spring, when we were able to start taking walks again.  Unlike in previous years, Indiana can't walk with Isis.  We walk a few hundred feet with Indiana, and that's an accomplishment.  So on days when Jim is home, Jim takes Isis out, and I stay with Indiana.  She likes to sit in the front yard and watch for Isis and Jim to return.  I love the intensity in her eyes in this picture.  She's just seen Jim, and she's just waiting for him to get closer.  It perfectly exemplifies the intensity of love and commitment this dog has for us.

Not to toot my own horn, but I hear comments all the time from people about what a wonderful job we've done with Indiana, and what great parents we are.  I love hearing that, of course, but my standard response, because it's true, is that it's easy to parent Indy.  She's so special.  Her depth of love for us is immeasurable.  I know she's still alive today because of that love and dedication.  How can I not try to return it?  I will spend every day of her life trying to live up to her expectations, to give her what she deserves.  So it's easy to sacrifice and spend most of my time making her life better.  Because what she gives to us...it can't be replicated.  I don't know why Jim and I were given this special gift, this amazing dog, unlike any other.  She is tough and strong.  Sweet and sympathetic.  Sensitive and loving.  In a word, amazing.  Happy Birthday to the best dog ever put on Earth.  You've made my life richer than I ever deserve.